Knock on the Door
by daeohtar
Summary: Happily in retirement, Snape hears a knock on the door.
1. Chapter 1

He took a slow sip of the ice tea in his hand. This was life, he decided. Simple. Little worries outside the mundane. Not that he even had to worry much over money matters, that was all taken care of. He stirred the straw around his glass, pondering the ratio of sugar to tea. As such as a Potions Master would, he guessed. Questioning himself, he looked at his surroundings. Everything was beautiful. Green. Lush. Simply wonderful, he mused.

Sitting on the porch in rural Georgia, nothing seemed better to him at the moment. He owned the land and the tiny house that sat on it. Severus sometimes joked that the porch was bigger than the house itself. Although he rarely had company over to tell his joke to. The only thing he did not have, and would not let himself buy, was a rocking chair. The idea was too picture-esque.

Too much for the grumpy Potions Master who was less grumpy than he used to be.

He combed through the newspapers, some Muggle, some from the wizarding world. He spotted an article over the Golden Trio. Everything seemed to be doing well, he thought, in a world without Dumbledore, without Voldemort. This made him happy. He could retire in peace, happy to only serve himself as Master. The time outside transformed his appearance little but a weight had been lifted off him nonetheless. He routinely worked in a garden, producing vegetables but also high quality potion ingredients in a greenhouse. It was charmed against muggles and wizards alike, in case curious teenagers got too close for his liking. His paranoia won out after several sleepless nights.

Outside of his greenhouse, nothing seemed to out of the ordinary. His house was kept neat and sparse. He did not bother employing help for anything. He was content. There was even a cat and dog duo who often stopped for a treat and affection on a semi-regular basis.

As if hearing his thoughts, they appeared from the brush. The nearest neighbors were a quarter mile in any direction. He wasn't sure where these two came from, maybe the neighbors, maybe elsewhere, but they were always happy to see him.

The cat, a striking brown and red color, always greeted him first. Purring, he nuzzled Severus's hand and struck up his petting time. The dog was female, and some shepherd mix was all Snape could guess. She was brown and gold, a regular mutt, but with gentle eyes. He guessed they were about the same age. Regardless, they were never apart. The cat's brilliant green eyes closed contently as he dutifully petted the creature. The dog curled up near by, closing her golden eyes to the world.

And that was how several of his afternoons went every month.

Things tend to change, often when they are least expected to do so.

This was one of those times.

Severus took pride in removing himself from the wizarding world. No one would think to look for Eileen Prince's son in the Muggle world, let alone rural Georgia. His cover was flawless. He took over another wizard's potion ingredient business, used the same title, and carried on while said wizard went about his ways. Snape believe the man was on an extended vacation in the Caribbean. His death was secure. No one would believe he was alive. Hell, the Golden Boy even cleared his name and allowed him to be awarded for his duties to society. He nearly choked on his morning tea when he saw those news headlines!

This Severus was a different creature than the one who dwelled at Hogwarts. That man lived two lives and served two masters. That man was nothing more than a shell. This Severus lived less in the shadows and more in the light. He even cut his hair. It was short now. He remembered when he asked the barber to cut and style his hair. The man gave him something of a celebrity look alike cut. Either way, it was different and new. Still new after two years of it, actually.

But life had more in store for Severus than a happy retirement brewing potions and growing ingredients.

He had stopped checking for tracking information on the letters and work orders he received. Laziness on his part, but he assumed no one would be looking for him. He should have known, seeing that handwriting, who it was. It looked so familiar but he dismissed it. He did teach a fair chunk of Britain's wizards and witches, several orders he received had familiar handwriting.

But this one really should have stayed with him. He filled it per usual and sent it off. Not another thought on the manner. And he didn't check for a tracker.

Maybe a month had gone by at this point, maybe a little less.

It was the day that he noticed that the cat and dog duo haven't visited in two weeks. It was also the day that he realized how much he'd come to enjoying their visits.

Then there was a knock on the door. None of his alarms had gone off. And there was a knock at his door.


	2. Chapter 2

The Knock was a wonderful sound to Severus's horrified ears. Why had none of his wards gone off? No car pulled up. Nothing. Nothing to tell him that someone arrived.

His mouth curled into a sneer. Tightening the grip on his wand, he casted a series of spells on the door. Detecting no ill will or malice, he looked through the peep hole. Frowning, he was tempted to growl and hex the visitor to pieces. Of all things, why did she have to appear here and now? Or ever, for that matter.

She knocked again. Harder and more persistent. He cracked open the door and hissed out "What do you want?"

She smiled. Head full of finally tamed curled, glittering eyes, and a joyful look in her eyes. He detested her. Was it not bad enough he suffered through her watching him die? Attending his classes? Now, now she came and ruined his peace and quiet. His damn retirement.

"Professor, I need to speak with you."

That was plain. Her face twisted into a more serious look. "Child, I have no time for games, or another round of Spy and Master. I suggest you look elsewhere." Actually, he needed to wipe her memory now that he thought of it. He opened the door further and invited her in.

Visibly taken aback by his gesture, the not as young witch entered the wizard's abode. Married life suited Hermione, Severus gathered, as she filled out and had that 'glow' all those witches would talk about. From the papers, he knew her career had exploded and she did good in the wizarding world.

"Miss Granger, to what do I owe the displeasure of your company?" He sneered at her, taking a seat at his kitchen table. Before she knocked, he had set the table for breakfast after an early morning of attending the garden. She weakly smiled, some of her bravery gone.

"I was sent by Harry, actually. We've been looking for you for quite some time, since we figured out you faked your death. You have Albus to thank for that though, he left some information in regards to that. But, there's been rumors across the country for about a year now, about you being alive. Harry and I hadn't said anything, not even Ron knows. " Here, she paused.

"We need your help. We're not asking you leave retirement, but, would like you be part of a committee of sorts. Infrequently, we come across issues that the previous government was unable to handle and would simply chuck elsewhere. We'd send copies of file cases over and ask you to look over them and suggest a solution. There's a large enough stack going over the legality of potions, ingredients, and regulations therefore that your viewpoint would be insightful on. There will be payment and your name will be removed from everything. Completely anonymous."

By this point, Severus's attention had been caught. If they had found him, together, others might as well. This also sounded too much like another plot by Dumbledore. He didn't trust that old coot to not screw with him even after his death.

As if to answer his unspoken question, Hermione started to talk again. " I found you by accident. I was ordering potion ingredients…" That damn letter. The one he thought he checked but failed to do so. Rubbing his eyes, he wondered how old he really was if something as simple as that had passed by him.

"I tried a searching spell on several of the letters I had gotten from you, but that was the only one that worked. I had a hunch…" Here she stopped herself. "I know the Ministry holds little value to you. It's still being rebuilt. Still new. Any protection it can offer is probably lesser to the protections you already have. I suggest changing your handwriting perhaps. I'll leave these folders for you to look over. Let me know what you want to do, what you think."

"Are you planning on blackmailing me, Ms Granger?" He hissed, watching her recoil slightly. Although she did not reach for her wand, he watched the thought cross her mind. Did she not realize what she has done here? Without his cloak and robes, he doubted he would imitate his bat-like demeanor to it's fullest extent. He was engaged. She barged into his life, and potentially ruins his retirement, to have him help look at some files?

"Who do you think you are? I serve no Master, my deeds have been rewarded, and I am finished with the likes of you and your golden boys." He rose to stare her down. Pushing into her mind, he invaded her mind, tearing through her protections. He watched her put the pieces together, he shifted through her searching for him, telling Potter, avoiding Weasley's questions, and how she ended up here by accident. He watched her cast a spell, enabling her to sneak through his wards. The spell he was unfamiliar with, probably something the witch came up with herself.

Pulling out, he glared at the trembling witch before him. She just wanted to finish the puzzle. "Leave" He muttered, not watching as she fled.

He had work to do. Especially now that he knew of her spell to get through his his spell books and a notebook, Severus set to work. After All, he was in the Wilds of American Magic. Everything was possible.


End file.
